Working through Pain in Suites cruelles

If it were not for the title of Hélène Blackburn’s new choreographic work, Suites cruelles, the beginning of the piece would lead one to believe that we are in for an evening with a casual feel. As we walk in the room, the performers are already warming up onstage. The walls are completely bare in their blackness, allowing us to see all the way to the wings where performers get a chance to catch their breath.

Hélène Blackburn’s Suites cruelles, photo by Leda & St.Jacques

Then Nancy Sinatra’s famous rendition of “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” comes blaring over the speakers, all performers strutting along onstage, and we notice that they are all wearing high heel shoes, even the men. We are slowly but surely getting away from the casual.

Not only do we benefit from two live pianists and a drummer, but the floor is also miked for sound. The performers consciously play with the technology, and the sound of their body hitting the floor and their breath often end up creating another musical accompaniment. It is a clever reversal of old-fashioned ideas that music is needed for dance; here, it is the dance that not only precedes but also creates the music.

There are sections where the female dancers execute pas de deux on pointes while striving for speed. They are reminiscent of Edouard Lock’s choreography but, to be honest, much more interesting. They may not reach the same speed, but they are more intricate and the men do not simply come across as faire-valoir for the women.

A few dancers also get to briefly show off their acting skills as they perform passages from such authors as Frederic Nietzsche and Marquis de Sade because the topic here really is pleasure and pain. Where does one end and where does the other begin? Are they even mutually exclusive? Or are they rather dependent on each another? Such are the questions tackled by the artists, who show no reservation in going in the deep end to explore pain.

For example, this intermingling can be seen when a video camera is fixed on the dancers. A huge digital replica is being projected behind them, instilling a feeling of intense voyeurism in the audience where a minimal level of uneasiness becomes necessary to gain access to pleasure. The situation gets reversed when performers kiss, which should be an enjoyable experience, but the microphones pick up the sound and it is amplified, creating a strong feeling of discomfort.

There is something deeply admirable about a work that refuses to give any false sense of comfort. Yet there are still incredible moments of beauty to be found here, like when a musician continues to play the piano even as it gets rolled across the stage. So go see it… if you have the guts.

Suites cruelles plays one last time tonight, Saturday, January 26, at 8pm at Centre Pierre-Péladeau. For more information, call 514.987.6919.

PREVIEW Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker presents her duo Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich at Usine C from January 29 to February 1. Fore more information: 514.521.4493. Also, Mélanie Demers follows up her hugely successful show from last year with her new work, Sauver sa peau, a collaboration with Laïla Diallo that plays at Tangente from January 31 to February 3. For more information: 514.525.1500.